KXIP won the toss and invited MI to bat first. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis opened the innings while Ankit Rajpoot bowled the first over. Witha slow start but then hitting boundaries MI were gaining momentum and stood at 37/1 after 3 overs.
A bowling change was made and Andrew Tye came in to bowl the fourth over. Bowled a slower delivery, Lewis completely missed the line and was clean-bowled. Ishan Kishan was the new man in. Just like Lewis, Kishan was not able to pick the line.
Andrew Tye continued in the 6th over. He wasn’t much-giving opportunities to the batsmen, bowling slower deliveries to force the batsmen to do something special. The strategy paid off and Kishan mishit the ball, making up for a simple catch at short mid-off. A change of fortunes for KXIP and Suryakumar Yadav departed on the very next ball, thanks to a knuckleball which got an inside edge off his bat which hit his pad and went straight into the hands of K L Rahul behind the wickets. KXIP made a comeback in the game. MI were 60/3 after 6 overs.
Krunal Pandya and Rohit Sharma were on the crease. Batsmen became more cautious looking to stabilise the innings after two consecutive wickets. MI stood at 71/3 after 8 overs.
Rajpoot was back into the attack and surprised Rohit Sharma with a short-pitched delivery and Rohit went for a pull short, lost control and hit the ball high up in the sky which landed in the safe hands of Yuvraj Singh. Kieron Pollard made his way on to the crease. MI were recovering from the damage that was done to them by the KXIP bowlers. MI stood at 104/4 after 12 overs.
Batsmen had settled on the crease till then and looked to accelerate. Both Pandya and Pollard were hitting regular boundaries and MI were sailing at a scoring rate of 9 rpo. Rajpoot finished an expensive over.
Krunal Pandya fell victim to a short-pitched delivery. He was caught at short fine-leg. Hardik Pandya was the new man in. Pollard seemed to be in a great form for the first time in the season and hit Stoinis for consecutive boundaries to reach his fifty in just 22 balls. MI were moving towards a big score and stood at 151/5 after 15 overs.
Pollard looked to continue with his assault and reached out to hit a wide delivery towards long-off and handed a comfortable catch. Ashwin did the job for KXIP. Ben Cutting came in. Both the batsmen, considered as good finishers, had the responsibility to end the innings on a high as the MI were in a good position to capitalise. But Tye didn’t offer too many choices to go for big runs. Ashwin returned with the 18th over. Kept silent for a couple of deliveries, Cutting grew restless and tried to go for a big shot and had to depart early paving way for Mitchell McClenaghan who opened his account with a maximum off Ashwin’s last ball of the over. Andrew Tye bowled the 19th over. Bowled another slower delivery and dismissed Hardik Pandya at the short third man, thanks to a fine outside edge. Mayank Markande was the next man in. Tye ended his spell with wonderful figures bagging 4 wickets for just 16 runs. Mohit Sharma began the last over of the innings. Depended on variations to catch the tail-enders off-guard but still ended up giving 11 runs, including 4 extras. MI stumbled towards the end of the innings to post a total of 186/8 even after managing a good start. MI were 151/5 after 15 overs and could only add 35 runs in the last 30 deliveries, losing 3 wickets in the process.
Chasing the mammoth target of 187 runs, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle opened for Kings XI Punjab. Mitchell McClenaghan bowled the first over and conceded 8 runs as a top edge went for six. Jasprit Bumrah came to bowl in the 2nd over and didn’t allow Chris Gayle to free his arm and gave only one run conceded. Hardik Pandya came to bowl the 3rd over and wacked by Gayle for a six and a four to start the over. Hardik Pandya leaked 19 runs as he was battered by both Rahul and Gayle.
After 3 KXIP were 28 for no loss. Mitchell McClenaghan came to bowl the 4th ball and walloped for four over the mid-on fielder but McClenaghan got the big man after hit for four, a big wicket given they need to chase 187 runs. McClenaghan conceded only 6 runs in his 2nd over. Aaron Finch replaced Gayle in the middle. Rohit Sharma asked Hardik to bowl the 5th over even though he conceded 19 in his first given Gayle was back to the dugout. This time around Hardik bowled with a great line and length while KXIP batsmen were not able to score big before Finch smacked the last ball for six. Krunal Pandya was greeted with a four. In the pursuit to hit another big shot Rahul nearly gave away his wicket but Cutting was not able to hold the catch. KXIP recovered from the Gayle wicket as had 23 runs partnership with a run-rate of 10.12 rpo.
KXIP batsmen played with a cool mind as they didn’t take any extra risk and nudged the good ball for singles. In-form Rahul again hit the first ball of the over for four and made the things easier for rest of the over as they nudged the ball for singles and doubles in the over maintaining the run-rate. Mayank bowled brilliantly to gave away only 7 runs in his 2nd over. After 9 overs KXIP were 80 runs with the loss of 1 wicket with Lokesh Rahul (43 runs off 29 balls) and Aaron Finch ( 16 runs off 17 balls) at the crease.
The highest wicket-taker for Mumbai Indians Hardik Pandya bowled the 10th over and KXIP batsmen didn’t try to play any rash shot collecting 6 runs with singles and doubles. Krunal Pandya continued from the other end and conceded 9 runs. Rahul completed his 7th IPL 2018 fifty with a single of the last ball of the 11th over.
In a desperate need of a wicket, Mumbai Indians skipper asked Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the 12th over and KXIP batsmen were looking to take the game deep. KL Rahul and Aaron finch restrained themselves to play any big shot and pushed the ball for a singles only. In 8 overs Kings XI Punjab needed another 88 runs with the required run-rate of 11 runs per over
Mumbai Indians desperately need to break the 2nd wicket stand to came back in the game and McClenaghan was asked to bowl the 13th over. McClenaghan bowled some wayward deliveries which were dispatched for four as KXIP batsmen collected 12 runs in the 13th over. Krunal Pandya bowled the 14th over and conceded 10 runs as KXIP batsmen were maintaining the required run-rate. Rohit Sharma kept on changing the bowler in a search of a wicket as he asked Hardik to bowl the 15th over and this time Pandya bowled with great line and length to concede only 6 runs as required run-rate reached 12 runs per over. KXIP were sceptical about middle order batting as they never clicked in IPL 21018 and it was mostly on the two batsmen, Finch and Rahul, to take their team home. The youngster Markande was asked to bowl the 16th over and the youngster did manage to get a top edge but the ball falls in no man lands. KXIP batsmen tried to hit Markande and failed till the 4th ball but Rahul showed his class by hitting the last two balls for six to collect 18 runs. Kings XI Punjab needed 42 runs 24 balls with a required rate of 10.5 rpo, a manageable task given they have 9 wickets in hand.
And the game changed here when on the very first ball of 17th over Bumrah made finch to play in the air and lost his wicket. Stoinis was the next man in. On the fifth ball on a bouncer he tried a flick but edged and ishan made no mistake. Axar Patel came in. KXIP was in trouble as they lost two wickets in the 17th over.
KXIP were 149/3.
Rahul and Axar lifted up a bit in the 18th over Ben Cutting gave 15 runs in the form of three fours scooped by KL Rahul.
KXIP were 164/3. Needed 23 in 12 balls.
In the 18th over Bumrah takes guard and on the 3rd ball of the over Rahul hits, ball went in the air and landed safely in the hands od Ben Cutting. Big Fish was trapped there. Yuvraj came in. 5 runs and a wicket from the over. Bumrah kept MI in the game.
So it’s 17 needed off the final. Punjab didn’t have any form batsmen at the crease. But class and vice bowling by McClenaghan, MI achieved it. Star but outform Yuvi tried hard but gitfed his wicket in the hands of lewis.
Manoj Tiwary came in. Six on the ball. MI fans skipped a heartbeat. It was still needed 9 runs of two balls. Two boundaries needed. Crucial situation. One run on the fifth ball of the over placed win the court of MI. One balls 8 runs needed four came frok the ball but MI won by 3 runs. KL Rahul made 94(60) couldn’t help KXIP and Mumbai jumed at 4th in the points table. Punjab remains at 5th.
It was a action packed game. Anything could till the last ball. Viewers enjoyed it. KL Rahul showed his class and Tye took 4 wickets couldn’t help Punjab to win, they need to rethink on the strategy. When KL Rahul goes out early. KXIP falls like a house of cards. MI is a team which has potential and they can make it to the playoffs. They have a high NRR.
If they win the next match with Delhi Daredevils on sunday they can make it to the playoffs. Punjab too has hopes as they win against the giant Chennai Super Kings in their next match.
So audience stay tuned. There is much more in the IPL yet.
Stay Tuned.
“Ankit Vaishnav”
